


Before This River

by Cinderella1181



Series: Faith [1]
Category: Actor RPF, British Actor RPF
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-14
Updated: 2015-04-14
Packaged: 2018-03-22 19:43:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,288
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3741286
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cinderella1181/pseuds/Cinderella1181
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tobias isn’t sure he heard Tom right, over a month of teasing and now this. No, he wasn’t sure he had heard him correctly at all.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Before This River

He stopped at the bottom of the stairs and looked skyward. Of course it was a good idea to put a theatre in a converted banana ripening warehouse. Oh, it was bloody brilliant. He sighed, took the crutch from his arm, sat down on the step, and put the stack of scripts next to him. He should have grabbed his satchel to put them in. He really didn’t even think about it. He rubbed the little sore spot on his arm, and then the muscles in the back of his legs. He knew he would be due for another set of injections soon, but until that point he was going to enjoy a little more time standing. The first two weeks after always forced him back in to his chair until the sensations settled in his legs. Once they did, he was able to get more mobile, and nothing stopped him. 

He chuckled to himself. Perhaps that was why Hadley had taken to calling him Clark Kent. Their own bespectacled version of superman, he supposed. It had taken all of five minutes and Mark making a comment, and no one looked at his crutch again. No one took pity on him, or treated him differently. 

And for that Tobias was immensely grateful. He wanted nothing more than to fit in and be a part of something, and they had made sure that he had. He may only be an intern for Josie, but he was a part of this cast of Coriolanus and that was all that mattered.

“Are you alright Tobias?” The voice made him look up, and there, bathed in golden light, was Tom. Of course it would be. He couldn’t be found by anyone else in his very rare moment of weakness. 

Tobias smiled a little up at him. “I’m fine, just tired and not much in the mood to do these steps," he said, shrugging a little. "I’ve been up and down them four times already today, and a fifth time just didn’t seem like something I felt like tackling quite yet.”

Tom came and sat next to him and nodded. “They are brutal. Nearly straight up and down. I was just coming to run them.”

“Oh god, you a masochist aren’t you?” He pulled a face, placed a hand on his chest and backed away. 

Tom laughed and winked at him. “Of the highest degree love, of the very highest degree. I love it when it hurts.”

Tobias was sure he was trying to talk. He was positive of it, but no words came out of his mouth. Nothing. Not a single word. “I…um…”

“Are adorable when you blush…” Tom replied, and bumped in to his shoulder. “It’s been one of my favorite games these last few weeks, to be perfectly honest.”

Tobias frowned a little. “So that’s why you’ve stood a little too close to me, or brushed up against me?” 

“Absolutely,” he grinned back. 

Tom Hiddleston was grinning at him, and had just admitted that he liked it when he made him blush. Tobias was completely positive that he was currently blushed right down to the very bottoms of his feet. He had to be as red as a tomato. “You don’t play fair. If I had known, I would have come up with some sort of decisive counter attack and employed it against you.”

“Ehehehe. Maybe that is exactly what I didn’t want you to do,” Tom replied simply. “I wanted to keep you in the dark, and keep you all shrouded in mystery.”

“That is simply cruel to tease.” Tobias shook his head, “Cruel and unusual.” He hoisted himself up and began to put the crutch back on. He had to get away from him, from Tom's warmth that was seeping into his body. He wouldn’t take it anymore.

Tom looked up at him, his whole face having changed. Gone was the mirth and merriment, and in its place was concern and worry. “Have I offended you?”

Tobias looked down at him. “No…I just…I don’t like to be teased, I’ve been teased my whole life and I guess, I just don’t take to it very well.”

Tom reached out and touched his hand. “Tobias. I didn’t mean to do it like that. I am certainly not teasing you to be cruel. At all.” 

“Then why are you teasing me?” He asked simply, perhaps with a little bit too harsh of a tone. Maybe it was the fatigue in his legs, maybe the whole situation was catching up with him; maybe it was the way that he felt about Tom and had been hiding it. Whatever it was, he just simply let the words slip from his lips. He couldn’t stop himself, “Why are you doing this? Is this a cruel joke, tease the crippled boy? Oh, he’s a homosexual and a cripple, he deserves twice the ridicule.”

“Tobias, stop, it’s not that at all.” Tom interjected, and stood up. “I was teasing you because I like you, and I wasn’t sure how to tell you, so I thought if I was cute and cheeky maybe you’d take my meaning, and you’d see it and you’d understand. “ He cast his eyes to the floor. "I’m sorry if I made you feel like that.”

Tobias stood there looking at him. “You what?”

Tom reached out and ran a finger along the back of his hand on the crutch. He sighed. “I like you, I have been trying to pluck up the courage to ask you out for the last week. And honestly, seeing you sitting here seemed like a nice opportunity, but like always I screw things up. I am terribly socially awkward.”

“Says the man without a crutch.” Tobias joked. “Just run this liking me thing by me one more time. I am a little confused by it. Sorry, movie stars just don’t normally like me. Wait, let me rephrase that. Heterosexual movie stars just don’t like me. I just...are you ill, are you being put up to this. I'm still really confused.”

“Bisexual” Tom said. 

“What?” 

“Bisexual. I am bisexual. Very much. I like both. So, yes--this bisexual movie star can like a guy like you. Because you are funny and sarcastic. You are smarter than the rest of the interns, and trust me, everyone sees it. You are handsome, with your dark hair and green eyes like the sea. I like you. I’m a little old for you, but I could be your sugar daddy, it’d work out well.” Tom smiled. 

“See, there was a line, and then you just take it one step too far,” Tobias laughed. “You like me? And you think I’m smarter than the rest of the interns?”

Tom laughed, “Absolutely. Don’t be surprised if you don’t end up working on _Sherlock_ after this. Mark is incredibly impressed with you.” 

“Oh be still my heart.” Tobias put his arm to his forehead. “You know how to woo a fella.” 

“I am a natural charmer,” Tom chuckled. There was a single beat, and then their eyes met, and a smile was exchanged. “Have drinks with me?”

“I would love to.” Tobias answered. “You’re still really sure I’m the one you want?”

“Positive.” Tom answered.

“Okay, you just don’t know what you’re getting yourself into,” Tobias replied and started up the stairs. 

He was nearly all the way to the top, his heart and his body suddenly much lighter, when the call from the bottom came, causing him to blush once more. 

“Hopefully, a long term lasting relationship with a great guy.” 

Tobias hesitated a second and then simply continued on, completely sure that his step seemed much lighter than before.

**Author's Note:**

> Tobias has Lambert-Eaton Myasthenic Syndrome, just in case you were wondering.


End file.
